I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

His Highness the Crown Prince's "declaration of love" in Jiangnan spread throughout the entire disaster-stricken officialdom at an astonishing speed.

From then on, no one dared to send women to Xiao Jingshi's side again.

Everyone now knows that the seemingly unfavored concubine of the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace is actually the Crown Prince's most beloved person, someone no one can touch.

Without these worries, Xiao Jingshi was able to devote all his energy to the post-disaster reconstruction work.

Time flies, and another month has passed.

Under Xiao Jingshi's supervision, the river embankments in Jiangnan were fortified to be as solid as a rock. Displaced disaster victims were properly resettled and began to rebuild their homes. The entire Jiangnan region, once desolate, was revitalized.

The emperor's edict finally arrived in Jiangzhou.

The imperial edict highly praised Xiao Jingshi's achievements in this southward campaign and ordered him to immediately return to the capital.

Finally, I can go home.

The moment they received the news, the entire team erupted in excitement. Everyone was eager to return home.

The return journey was much easier than the way there.

The roads have been repaired, the weather has cleared up, and everyone's mood is as bright and cheerful as a spring day in Jiangnan.

The only downside is... the food.

The "love baggage" that Ye An'an had prepared has been almost completely used up over the past few months.

At noon that day, the team stopped to rest by a scenic river.

The soldiers set up their field cooking pots and cooked the simplest white rice.

Changting opened the food box he treasured and began distributing the "side dishes" for lunch.

He carefully took out a package wrapped in oil paper from the food box.

Xie Zhao and Lu Chengyuan's eyes immediately lit up, like two dogs that had spotted a bone.

They knew that was the last bit... beef jerky.

Changting unfolded the oil paper layer by layer, his movements as solemn as if he were opening some priceless treasure.

When the last layer of oil paper was peeled off, everyone's hearts sank.

Inside the large oil paper package, there lay only four pieces of beef jerky, two spiced and two spicy.

"Is that all...is that all?" Xie Zhao's voice was tinged with a sob.

He felt his heart was broken.

For the past few months, whenever they were eating dry, hard flatbread and drinking bland rice porridge, the greatest happiness for them was being able to eat a piece of beef jerky made by Ye An'an.

The dried meat is incredibly chewy, becoming more fragrant with each bite. It's savory with a hint of sweetness, and spicy with a dry, aromatic flavor. Every bite is an ultimate indulgence.

But now, this final enjoyment is about to leave them.

Lu Chengyuan also looked heartbroken. He looked at the four pieces of beef jerky as if he were looking at four relatives who were about to pass away.

Looking at their pathetic state, Xiao Jingshi found it amusing, but more than that, he felt a strange sense of pride.

Look, this is what An An makes; it has such great appeal.

He cleared his throat and said casually, "Since there are only four pieces left, then... let's share them."

He took one of the spiced pieces for himself, and then gestured to Changting to give the remaining three pieces to Xie Zhao, Lu Chengyuan, and Changting himself, who had been following him around and had made great contributions.

Xie Zhao accepted the spicy beef jerky as if it were a treasure. He didn't eat it immediately, but instead brought it to his nose and took a deep breath.

"Ah...this is the taste!" A blissful expression spread across his face. "It smells amazing! So delicious!"

Then, he carefully took a small bite.

He closed his eyes and chewed slowly, as if savoring some exquisite delicacy. His blissful expression made the soldiers next to him, who were also munching on their dry rations, swallow hard.

Lu Chengyuan did the same. He tore the beef jerky into thin strips, one by one, and slowly ate it with white rice. Every bite was full of ritual.

Xiao Jingshi looked at them and shook his head.

He picked up the piece he was holding, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.

The familiar, rich aroma of meat spread throughout my mouth.

He suddenly remembered that Ye An'an had personally roasted these pieces for him, one by one, in the courtyard of Tinglan Water Pavilion the night before he left, by a small charcoal stove.

At that moment, she was squatting by the stove, her little face flushed red from the glow of the charcoal fire, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

She said, "I heard you're going to Jiangnan, a long journey, and you probably won't have good food. So... I made some dried meat for you to take with you on your journey."

The scene from that time, along with the smell of the dried meat, vividly appeared in his mind.

He felt that what he was eating was not dried meat.

Instead, it was a heavy, warm feeling, carrying her body heat and heartfelt concern...

I finished a piece of beef jerky very quickly.

Xie Zhao licked his lips, still savoring the taste, then looked at the empty oil paper package, his face filled with despair.

"It's gone...it's really gone..." he wailed. "I'll never be able to eat it again, what am I going to do!"

"Don't worry," Lu Chengyuan comforted him, though he himself looked disappointed. "When we get back to the capital, we'll go together and ask the concubine to make it for us again."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Xie Zhao's eyes lit up instantly again. "We have to beg the Empress! No, we have to give her a gift! The best gift in the world! I'll do anything for her as long as she's willing to cook for us again!"

As Xiao Jingshi listened to their conversation, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.